BJP’s Annamalai on Row Over ‘Rs 5-lakh Timepiece’

Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai’s special edition ‘Rafale’ wrist watch has sparked a new controversy after minister Senthil Balaji claimed that the timepiece cost Rs 5 lakh. Responding to the claims, however, Annamalai said he was ready to produce the receipt of the watch along with his bank account statement as well as income tax details when Balaji questioned as to how he had bought such an expensive watch.

The minister took to Twitter and asked how a man (Annamalai) who claimed to have only four goats could have bought such an expensive watch. He also questioned his so-called nationalism since the watch was French.

Annamalai also took to Twitter and posted a thread saying the ruling DMK wanted to fight him over the issue of corruption, and he was “more than ready”. He further said he will continue wearing the watch as long as he lived as he was a nationalist, as per a report published by Hindustan Times.

The report quoted him as saying that the watch cost Rs 3.5 lakh and it was made when India ordered Rafale aircraft and even has parts of it. “I did not get an opportunity to fly the Rafale aircraft so as a nationalist I am wearing the watch,” he was quoted by HT.

He also posted a Twitter thread to respond to the controversy. He said he bought the watch in 2021 before he became the state BJP president. “Since @arivalayam wants to fight on the issue of corruption with me, I’m more than ready to do that. The details of my Rafale watch, which was purchased in May 2021, along with its bill (before I became TN BJP President), All of my lifetime Income Tax statements… Photocopies of my 10 years of all of my bank accounts (every single income I had received will be shown), all my earnings as an IPS officer from Aug 2011 & till I resigned, details of all of the immovable properties I own that is more than 1 Lakh,” he tweeted.

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